Description: Behold!!! An all-out slugfest for your viewing enjoyment! WATCH, as Krizalid, Kurow, and Maxima lament overpriced bootlegged goods by destroying a Beijing market! OBSERVE Maxima's quiet torment over being the only opponent without a K-name! GASP as Krizalid reveals who is the father of his child!! At least one of these things ACTUALLY OCCURS, too?!!? An event for the ages! (Winner: Krizalid)
"You buy, you buy!"
The screeching of an old woman right in his face is not going to make the agent from NESTS purchase the loose and rather miscellaneous meat on a stick any faster. If anything, it's likely to do quite the opposite, as he considers throwing up a little in his mouth.
With the midday heat beating down on the open-air market, there's a definite pong in the air that comes only from so many unwashed creatures in close proximity, who have been out in that heat for hours. But the stalls themselves sell practically everything the Chinese government will allow, from kitchen knives to pots and pans right on through to small chil--wait, wait, you didn't see that, or a van will come and take you away.
Despite the heat, Krizalid remains clad within his coat, the fluffy coa collar drawn up and the majority of his face delightfully hidden. In anticipation for the fight though, he's already working his fingers within their pointed gloves, and an off-sounding giggle escapes him as he... considers the kind of thoughts that only an Irishman who's been through the ringer thanks to his workplace can think of.
He's thinking about goldfish.
Then he's walking over to the stall that sells goldfish. It can't end well, but it's nigh-time for the scheduled fight to begin!
COMBATSYS: Krizalid has started a fight here.
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Krizalid 0/-------/-------|
Unlike Krizalid, Kurow has been taking advantage of the various shop-owners on the open-air market; some of it's a little distasteful, but he's been forced to endure worse. Besides -- it may get people to bet on him, and in turn pressure his opponents into tossing the match in exchange for a little greasing of the financial wheels. Not the most direct tactic, but Kurow hardly ever employs the most direct tactics.
So far, the youth has bought a rather terrible meal (one which will probably catch up with him about an hour after the fight), some off-brand dog treats, and a few nice-looking pieces of jewelry that were probably family heirlooms once upon a time. Oh well -- if they're selling, he might as well buy.
What the youth is looking for now, of course, is some sort of musical instrument -- he has a small collection. After all, when they're important tools for your dirty dealings, you learn to appreciate them as works of art, too. He begins haggling with the vendor, knowing full well his match could begin at any time -- especially as he notices that goldfish stand, and just who's patronizing it.
COMBATSYS: Kurow has joined the fight here.
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Krizalid 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kurow
"New DVD, good price, buy now yes?!" Thrusting a completely black DVD case -- with the words 'MCLOVIN' scrolling across, with 'SUPERBAD OF THE MOVIE' -- the front forward, a particularly enthused and passionate merchant looks up towards his hopeful customer-to-be, his grin exposing a maw with several missing teeth. The fact that this potential customer towers over him doesn't seem to deter the shop owner, who in response just shoves the DVD case more vigorously into the man's chest, an action met with a grunt.
"Sorry, guy," Maxima explains almost apologetically as he looks down at the comparatively diminutive old man, "I'm not interested in, uh... McLovin'. Maybe some other time, okay?"
The merchant begins to tell him there's never a better time for McLovin' than right now in poorly worded English, but Maxima is already turning away, large hands clasping behind his back as he heaves a sigh. "So, this is where I'm supposed to fight, right? So where are the other guys...?" There are cameras positions around the market, on rooftops, near stands, but the activity of the open-air market still does not cease. Stomping across the dirty ground, the Canadian scans with his eyes, dark brown gaze falling upon one distinct form, unnatural eyes identifying the man immediately, complete with name and even relevant data on the individual: Kurow Kirishima. His gaze lifts... and then he pauses. Blinks. Squints. And then... narrows his eyes most decidedly as they fall upon a particular goldfish stand.
"... Krizalid."
Perhaps he should have bought the McLovin' DVD and left when he could.
COMBATSYS: Maxima has joined the fight here.
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Maxima 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Krizalid
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Kurow 0/-------/-------|
Whatever bartering Krizalid is doing, he's munching on something when he turns around from the goldfish stand. And as he turns around, his gaze falls onto... Kurow. "Hello," he greets, rather pleasantly, and takes a couple of strides forward. His voice is nearly lost in the heights of his collar, and the smile on his face is gone as well...
The director for the fight, the would-be Tarantino, decides that it's time to start. The cameras roll, even as the NESTS Agent continues his walk across the marketplace towards Kurow...
A horn sounds, the beginning of the match...
And the Irishman abruptly digs his toes down, springing to one side -- not towards Kurow, but directly at Maxima instead! He charges the Canadian, a wordless roar leaving his lips as he closes the gap within a moment, his speed ridiculous as he expresses his disgust in the only way he truly knows how.
With his fists.
It's those very fists that seek to bury square into the mountain of teeth, a veritable Rocky Mountain of teeth, to drive Maxima into gagging on his own NESTS-sponsored fillings!
Even though Maxima is the target of whatever bizarrely focused ire the Irishman may have, that doesn't mean Kurow doesn't see Krizalid as a threat from the moment he starts striding toward him. The collared man moves like he knows the art of battle from top to bottom. He may not be the likes of Rugal Bernstein, but between the massive Canadian and the Irishman, Kurow considers the Irishman more of a threat. After all, very often, fighters with size have nothing but that -- size.
Digging his hands into his pockets, Kurow breaks out into a full-speed run toward Krizalid, bringing his hands back out (freshly equipped with claws!) halfway into the run. Rather than spend time calculating, something that could do as much harm as good, he elects to get right to the more visceral side of the match.
Quite literally, at that, as he slides toward Krizalid; he does not aim to knock him off balance with a sliding kick, as many fighters would, though. Rather, he uses that speed to slide /past/ the NESTS agent, grabbing at one of his legs with both hands' claws on the way past, trying to sever something critical -- a weaker man could bleed out from the attack in under a minute, but Krizalid couldn't even be considered a weaker man by the largest stretch of the imagination.
COMBATSYS: Maxima blocks Krizalid's Strong Punch.
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Maxima 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Krizalid
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Kurow 0/-------/-------|
If Krizalid wishes to view Maxima as a lesser, he'll likely come to regret it eventually. But the Canadian's quarrel isn't with the thin, be-clawed ninja. Kirishima might as well not even exist anymore, even if Maxima continues to track him on a purely subconscious level. Instead, the good bulk of his attention focuses on the tall man with white hair who now rushes across the distance towards him. Any mirth and amusement is drained from Maxima's face. And the moment that fist comes?
Maxima is there to greet it with a sudden, forward charge. "HMPH!"
Fists meet palms with a sudden, amazingly loud CRACK of contact. Maxima does not even do so much as -budge- as Krizalid's fists meet his hands. "I take it you're not... nng... happy to see me, huh? Don't worry..." Kurow comes sweeping in, to try to claw at Krizalid's coated form. The cyborg will attempt to hold Krizalid there for as long as possible, before using the grip on the man's fists to lift him INTO the air in a sudden hurl, aiming to launch him into one of the nearby stands selling Family Guy-oriented T-Shirts.
"... the feeling is mutual."
COMBATSYS: Krizalid blocks Kurow's Fierce Strike.
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Maxima 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Krizalid
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Kurow 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Krizalid endures Maxima's Quick Throw.
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Maxima 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Krizalid
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Kurow 0/-------/-------|
On the flip side, getting his leg severed doesn't seem like such a thrilling idea! His fists for Maxima's face find themselves impacting into the oversized hands of Maxima. There's a sour grunt from the Irishman, who presently has no words at all for the Canadian fighter. Held there though, he seemingly proves the most tempting victim of all for Kurow!
But his suit warns him. Right down into his central nervous system, he is warned of the approach; and he reacts. The leg twists, coming up defensively, allowing those claws to simply strike off of the armored front of his boots instead of getting down to anything major; skin is still broken, but it's far from as bad as it could be.
The more severe of the attacks dealt with, he simply goes with the motions as he's thrown -- and away he goes! Twisting in the air though, the Irishman CRASHES into the stand, sliding backwards into a three-point stance that he's quick to get up from. Arms spread wide, he ignites in a burst of flames, taking many a face of Peter Griffon with him!
"D-dad, that man is on fire, ahahaha!" But the loud blonde fat boy's father is too busy clutching his knee, the owner of the stand hurt in the collision of Irish and Shirt. "Ahh... ahh... ahh!... ahh! My knee! Ahh!" And so on, and so forth.
With his coat reduced to nothing but ash though, Krizalid stands tall -- and with a bag in each hand, a goldfish happily swimming. "Now, let me see if'n I got this one right," he speaks to both fighters, the lilt of his country there in his voice. "Ya both be wantin' ta take me on at the same time? I dun remember the card bein' written that way, but ah, me memory just ain' wha' it used ta be." Lamenting his lost memory, he then does the sane thing.
He throws a goldfish baggie at Kurow!
COMBATSYS: Krizalid successfully hits Kurow with Thrown Object.
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Maxima 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Krizalid
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Kurow 0/-------/------=|
While Kurow has learned to expect a lot of things in the course of a battle, a goldfish baggie certainly was not on his list. The little fish strikes him squarely in the face, and while it is ultimately a soft, fleshy creature, it is a soft, fleshy creature hyperaccelerated by Krizalid's toss, and does knock him back just a little.
The fact that he can throw a goldfish hard enough to hurt someone prompts Kurow to reevaluate his situation a little, especially with as hard as Maxima just threw the Irish agent. Perhaps, he thinks to himself, it would be best to switch targets. After all, he reasons, the Canadian seems to have some history with Krizalid -- history that will keep them focused, for the most part, on each other, in spite of the vast crowd! Hopefully.
So Kurow does what he feels is the smart thing, and rushes full-bore at Maxima. Leaping up at the large Canadian, Kurow tries to wrap both hands around Maxima's neck and turn his forward momentum into circular speed, digging his claws in in the process. If he can get a good grip, he'll go around twice before easing up. Finally, Kirishima finishes the attack by bringing Maxima downward from that same face-locked position, trying to crack the man's chest over a knife-selling booth (which Kurow now ends up behind, if all goes well, much to the chagrin of the actual vendor). Pointy!
COMBATSYS: Kurow successfully hits Maxima with Circle Slash.
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Maxima 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Krizalid
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Kurow 0/-------/---====|
At the moment, Kurow is hardly his concern. Perhaps he should be -- and perhaps for good reason, too. But for now, Maxima pits the most of his focus upon Krizalid. It's something that'll come back to bite him, to be sure, but at this point? Maxima just spins around, pitting his gaze entirely on the taller of the white haired duo.
"What's the matter?" he questions easily, sliding into a more combat-ready stance. "Can't handle it?" But, just as the question is asked, that baggie of goldfish and water slaps Kurow in the face, and the ninja... comes rushing at -him- instead. Maxima steels himself, to prepare to just take the brunt of the blow -- but apparently, he doesn't do it quite fast enough. Claws dig into the side of his neck, rotating in rapid-fire motion that scrapes against, not exactly -flesh-, but something a touch more durable. Whatever it is, the Canadian cyborg takes quite the solid beating from the ninja, slaming into the booth in a staggering downwards thrust. Yet Maxima's weight is far too great to simply be thrown down; the Canadian lurches forward, cracking into wood and splintering it in a burst. Ow.
It doesn't keep him down for long, though; soon enough, the Canadian is rushing -forward- towards Krizalid once more, his right hand swinging backwards. Hoping to catch the man before he can react, Maxima -slings- that massive arm forward in what would appear to be a straightforward right hook. But just before his fist should strike? Maxima's wrist literally expands outward with a mechanical whirring click, blossoming into a series of rather forboding-looking handcannons.
A split second before his fist should hit, Maxima discharges a sudden burst of highly-pressurized air from those cannons, slicing through the air with intent to slam into Krizalid's chest with ten times the force of a normal punch. "HRRMPH!!"
COMBATSYS: Krizalid dodges Maxima's Vapour Cannon.
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Maxima 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Krizalid
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Kurow 0/-------/---====|
With the goldfish launched, Krizalid seems entirely more interested in simply bouncing the remaining baggie of gold fishy goodness in his right hand. Up and down. Up and down. The poor fish must be hating it, having to awaken every 5 seconds into a fresh memory of being bounced in a bag.
With one eye, he watches the fight between the two combatants progress; he watches Kurow's launch, and sees where he ends up. In turn though, the Irishman finds himself staring down the barrel of a number of guns, as Maxima attempts to slam him with all the might of the Canadian armada.
He simply leans to one side, the multitude of cannons thrusting by him to discharge into fat air. His hair dances on the breeze caused by the other Operative's passage. Bouncing the baggie one final time, he throws it up for Maxima to catch. "Catch."
With the flex of a leg, he dashes after Kurow and the stand though -- but it's not precisely Kurow that he aims for! "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" he calls, as he leads with his fists once more -- and simply crashes INTO the stand, a rising uppercut delivered not once, not twice, but thrice! Chi lashes out, sickles of wind slicing the stand apart further, as he seeks to knock the ninja into a stand selling piranhas!
COMBATSYS: Krizalid successfully hits Kurow with Rising Darkmoon.
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Maxima 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Krizalid
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Kurow 1/-------/=======|
Kurow only has a split second to hit the dirt -- or, well, the bottom of the wooden stand -- in response to the dashing uppercuts from the Irishman. Unfortunately, he doesn't utilize that split second very well, and each uppercut crashes into him, the final one sending him through what little is left of the stand's roof -- and into a pile of half-butchered chickens, ready for feeding to some nasty-looking piranhas.
This is now how Kurow envisioned spending the last weekend before fall term started.
It doesn't take him long to kippup, doing a quick little flip that brings him from 'prone on a bunch of chicken entrails, too close to an unstable-looking tank full of piranhas' to 'standing up... still covered in chicken entrails, still too close to a bunch of piranhas.' It's a start, at least. "Nnngh..." he groans, staggering a little ways back, putting some distance between himself and the carnivorous fish -- and conveniently, toward a somewhat small, well-packed alley of the market. It'd be no problem for him to move around in, but he thinks his opponents might have some trouble -- which means it's a perfect place from which to plan!
The youth closes his eyes for a moment, planning out every move he'll make, trying to account as much as possible for what he's seen of his opponents' styles so far -- and then opens them right back up, getting into stance and watching for a prime opportunity.
COMBATSYS: Kurow focuses on his next action.
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Maxima 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Krizalid
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Kurow 1/-------/=======|
Wincing as he feels his fist glide straight past Krizalid, Maxima curses -- he didn't quite remember Krizalid being so spry. But it's something to worry about for later, really. For now, he concerns himself with the present. And the present brings his fist thrusting straight past the man, stumbling once, twice, before coming to an ultimate stop a few feet away from his former superior...
... just in time to see a bag of goldfish daintily flying through the air. Blinking, he snatches it up from the open air with one massive hand, looking towards the Irishman as he rushes forward towards Kirishima. "... I'm not a big fan of fish," he remarks, dark brown gaze focused squarely on the baggie in question as the goldfish swim around frantically. He'd say thank you, but then--
No need to be polite to an ex-boss.
While prepared to deliver punishment upon -Kurow- this time around, the Canadian cyborg finds the man woefully unavailable -- hiding in the shadows like some sneaky ninja, probably. Undeterred, Maxima grips onto the shattered husk of what remains of that stand full of Family Guy merchandise. With one hand, he hefts it up with the fall of rotten, old wood clattering across the ground.
Within seconds, a massive sign with the face of Brian comes swinging to greet Krizalid straight in the kisser, reading simply: 'Whose leg do you have to hump to get a dry martini around here?'
COMBATSYS: Krizalid interrupts Random Weapon from Maxima with Random Weapon.
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Maxima 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\1 Krizalid
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Kurow 1/-------/=======|
After dispensing with Kurow, however temporarily, the masterful Krizalid simply lands lightly on his feet. "That's how it's done," he declares boldly, brushing off his... biceps, since he doesn't have sleeves. He adjusts some of the binds across his body, but... his suit tells him that something bad is coming this way!
He turns, seeing the sign being gathered, with the fury of Maxima right behind him. "That's the ugliest blonde child I've seen this side of the Orient," he notes, reaching blindly for the closest thing he can get his hands on.
In this case? It's his SHINING CROTCH.
With another wordless Irish roar, no doubt something about needing whisky after this, he simply meets Maxima's charge with one of his own. The sign is met by something other than the seat of his pants, but rather the groin, the battle suit simply causing the sign to explode as he simply sends that mysteriously shining package right through it to hit the man beyond!
Still, the broken sign hits the Junior Vice President square in the face, and he's sent stumbling back to clutch at his nose.
"Ahh, my nose! Ahhhh... Ahhh... Man this really hurts... Ahhh... Ahhhhhhhh... ... ... ... Ahhh! What the hell, you hit me with a sign! Ahhhhhhh! Owwww, it hurts... Ahhh... Ahhh... Oh I think I'm tasting blood... Ahhh... Ahhhh... Yep that's definitely blood... Ahhh... Oh man... Ahhh... Oooow... Oooh... Ahhhhh..."
Some time later.
"Ahhh... Ooooh... Oh it's not that bad, what am I complaining about?" Krizalid straightens.
All of Kurow's calculations go completely the hell out of the window when he sees Krizalid come at Maxima's Family Guy sign with his package. Never before has Kurow seen something quite so ridiculous and over-the-top, and he goes to school in the same town that Hayato Nekketsu teaches in. What he expected certainly hadn't happened.
In spite of it, though, Kirishima notes the technique (however crass) for the future, spends a second reevaluating, and then takes a few measured steps out of that alcove, back toward the mumbling, apparently-pained Krizalid. The youth looks between the two targets for a second; on the one hand, that sign seems pretty threatening. On the other hand, the Irishman is evidently tough enough to handle such problems by coming at them with his glorious, shining 'finger'.
He decides the sign is more worrisome in the strictest sense, and turns his attention to Maxima. Taking up a position behind a stand selling off-brand SNF merchandise, of all things, Kurow tosses a Billy Kane action figure at Maxima, using a high underhand toss...
...but only as a distraction. The real strike comes when Kurow's upward swing of his arm finishes, and the Kirishima youth lets loose a whirling tornado of golden, bladed chi, sending it up from the ground beneath the Canadian. The vicious, dark storm tries to cleave that tough not-quite-flesh as deeply as it can, even seeming to take on a second 'layer' of blades at one point.
The Billy action figure, caught in the whirlwind, yells out, "Whus tahn is ih?!!"
COMBATSYS: Kurow successfully hits Maxima with Kirishima Shinkuu Yamiarashi.
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Maxima 1/=======/=======|=======\-------\1 Krizalid
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Kurow 0/-------/-------|
Oh, the agony. Family Guy, why have you failed poor Maxima...?!
The power of shining, metallic crotch proves mightier than Maxima's poor sign today. Even though his wooden stand crashes into Krizalid's face with an explosion of splintered wood, the man still manages to crash straight THROUGH the majority of Maxima's painful assault, power -through- it. Maxima blinks. He sees what's coming. And he -squints-.
"You have -got- to be kidding m--"
And then it becomes a bit more difficult to talk, what with crotch striking his face with a metallic CLANG.
The force of it is enough to send Maxima staggering back, his face looking rather strongly beaten up from the assault, and his eyes narrowed in Krizalid's direction. He just -- he just -violated- Maxima's face with his GLOWING CROTCH. Strangely, no blood flows from Maxima's nose nor mouth when there rightly should be some form of the crimson liquid there. But whatever the reason is left to go unexplained--
--especially when he finds a twisting vortex of chi and Billy Kane swirling at him in a terrible mass of pain.
Not expecting to be attacked by Kurow -again-, he's struck by surprise from the swift, sudden attack. That whirlwind of chi cuts at him, and yet, for all the damage apparent as it burns at his body, there's no meaningful lacerations. The assault is enough to pick all four hundred eighty pounds of Canadian metalbeef (or beefonium) into the air, sending him FLYING back until he crashes -- unpleasantly -- through a nearby building.
There is absolute silence from the building as smoke and debris rises from it. Maxima is lost in the rubble, somewhere within the lower levels. He doesn't burst out immediately -- perhaps he's been taken out? Unlikely, but much like Kurow before, he remains hidden in wait, letting the other two duke it out for now. He needs to recover from those solid beatings. Ow.
COMBATSYS: Maxima focuses on his next action.
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Maxima 1/=======/=======|=======\-------\1 Krizalid
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Kurow 0/-------/-------|
It's almost strange that, despite the fact his crotch just shattered a sign and went into Maxima's face, that the NESTS Agent is more concerned about his nose -- even if he does get over it rather quickly. And while he was busy complaining about his nose, his two opponents were busy do-sa-do'ing. He wonders...
"Hey, hey, ninja kid, where'd Maxima go?"
He turns unerringly to look at Kurow. The suit knows all.
It seems that it's something he's going to have to worry about another time, because for the moment it's just down to the two of them. So he does the sane thing; he attacks! Sliding forward, he makes use of his long legs in an assault on Kurow's personage As he nears, he seeks to stab that long leg right into the boy's middle -- and then heft him high, twisting like a would-be gymnast.
That won't be the problem though -- what will, will be the fall, as the follow-up is a rather hasty slam down into the marketplace itself; who knows what kind of unsavory cattle have wandered across it?!
COMBATSYS: Kurow dodges Krizalid's Lethal Impact.
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Maxima 1/=======/=======|=======\-------\0 Krizalid
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Kurow 0/-------/-------|
The man's got good control of his legs, Kirishima thinks, as the Irishman comes in at Kurow, across the market, with that vicious leg-spear. The next thing Kirishima notes to himself, of course, is how slow Krizalid is -- a fact that he uses to his advantage, at least in this case, as he whips his his body out of the way of that kick.
"He should be down in that rubble somewhere," Kurow says, gesturing to the smoking pile that happens to be the last place he saw the Canadian cyborg. "In fact, let me give you a free ride to it." Of course, this is all the warning that Krizalid gets -- the Irishman just can't buy a break today, it seems like. Though really, if any of the fighters in this match could buy a break, there'd be something very wrong.
Kirishima tries to grab Krizalid's arm with both hands, sinking his claws as deep in as possible to get a good, solid grip that'll sting a bit when it's broken; after all, the man's tough, and any bit of pain Kurow can inflict helps. If he can maintain that grip, he seems to /drag/ Krizalid with all the force he can put out -- only to give him a low, flat toss at the pile of rubble that contains the Canadian cyborg?! Oh no!!
The owner of the building comes out of the building next door, meanwhile, and starts swearing in as many languages as he can think of about how un-conscientious Saturday Night Fight's boys are. Even trying to beat up his /rubble/!
Where is Maxima?
That's a very good question, indeed. As the ninja and the NESTS executive duke it out, the lumbering cyborg is no where to be found. In truth, the rubble has shifted since his collapse into it. Far from down, the Canadian has instead moved -out- of the rubble into one of the neighboring rooms as the two exchange blows. He shakes his head, rubbing at his temples with one, massive hand. Even as he does so? His vision makes a sudden shift from normal, to infrared, seeing the world before him in shades of yellows, greens, oranges and reds as he peers through buildings at heat signatures. "Where are you..."
He spots his target just as Kurow and Krizalid come to blows, the ninja sweeping out of the way of the Irishman's lancing foot, just as he prepares a counter assault. Success or failure, however, Maxima doesn't wait. There are no cameras here. Nothing to see what comes next -- not even his fellow opponents.
So it might come as a shock that, as Kurow flings Krizalid?
A GIANT beam of swirling, cerulean chi RUPTURES through a nearby wall, making a straight, beelining path towards Kurow.
It's fortunate that Maxima's body is hidden behind the searing blast and the wall, chunks of rubble obscuring his form -- and the gaping opening in his chest that reveals the massive cannon beneath. For all intents and purposes, the man has just hurled a kamehameha of artificial chi at Kurow with his hands, rather than the truth of the matter -- a truth that remains his secret. And likely the exec that may or may not be landing right next to him at any given moment now. Regardless, in the aftermath of that titanic, blazing blast of chi, Maxima steps out -- looking quite battered, and limping, but strangely STILL not bleeding... and still quite capable to fight.
COMBATSYS: Krizalid blocks Kurow's Strong Throw.
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Maxima 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Krizalid
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Kurow 0/-------/-------|
The claws sink down into his arm, but guess what Krizalid's reaction is? He simply grins at Kurow, and goes WITH the throw itself. It's almost as if he could sense what would be coming for the ninja shortly, that he allows himself to be thrown, absorbing the damage even as he is thrown towards the rubble. Maxima lurches out beam first, and meanwhile the NESTS Agent simply slides by.
"Hi Maxima!" he greets the former NESTS operative, sinking into the rubble itself momentarily.
But then he's stepping back out, and standing next to Maxima. "Nice beam," he compliments.
And then aims to punch the Canadian right across the face.
COMBATSYS: Maxima successfully hits Kurow with MX-II Final Cannon.
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Maxima 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Krizalid
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Kurow 0/-------/-======|
Kurow disappears entirely from view as the beam washes over him. The totality of destruction is like little he has experienced -- the Kaiser Wave, perhaps, or the full force of Raizo's interpretation of Imawano-ryu. There, though, Kurow at least knew himself to be outclassed... here, against a man he'd thought to be, roughly, his peer? Perhaps there is something to say for being slow.
Before the beam, Kurow had been hearty, ready to take on Krizalid -- indeed, he'd thought Maxima a non-factor entirely, leaving the man mostly for dead, or at least buried. Now he's on his last legs, and Maxima is up and ready for action... truly, this is a sad time.
On the other hand, the outside risk tells him that, while both he and Maxima are badly beaten and Krizalid is more than ready for the worst, they could possibly bring the fight closer, give themselves a chance again, if they stayed off of each other... an assumption that Kurow is banking on Maxima /also/ making.
Kurow pries himself off the ground at last, finding his claws unserviceable as weapons and his options lacking. ... fortunately, nearly anything can be improvised here in the market! Kirishima reaches out toward that ruined knife store, placing sharp implements of all sorts between his fingers, and /then/ starts to mount his attack again. Propelling his body forward at the Irishman, Kurow encases himself in a massive black ball of chi, both the knives and Kurow's bladed chi lashing out at Krizalid.
COMBATSYS: Krizalid successfully hits Maxima with Quick Punch.
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Maxima 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Krizalid
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Kurow 0/-------/---====|
Sadly -- recovering from the Final Cannon has never been a strong suit of Maxima's. A fact that he doesn't doubt that Krizalid is aware of, and attempts to -capitulate- on, the very moment that the beam ends and the massive Canadian emerges from the rubble with a stagger. At the voice, he blinks -- looks towards the source. And what does he see?
Hi Maxima!
He sees a faceful of fist.
The resulting impact is enough to crack Maxima's head to the side with a sickening snap, saliva spewing from the large man's mouth as he takes a single, staggering step backwards. He staggers further, clutching his head. "... Hey... Krizalid..." he greets, a gloved hand splayed in a wave.
"... go to hell, guy."
And from there, he just takes a staggering surge forward, attempting to get a solid GRIP onto his former superior's torso with all the strength that he can muster...
COMBATSYS: Maxima can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Krizalid 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Kurow
COMBATSYS: Krizalid dodges Maxima's Maxima Revenger.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Krizalid 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Kurow
COMBATSYS: Krizalid fails to reflect Yasha Guruma from Kurow with Typhon's Rage - Reflect.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Krizalid 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\0 Kurow
And then he falls.
"Durrr."
No, no, there'll be no holding onto Krizalid at all! He dances away from Maxima, brushing the former NESTS Agent off rather easily. "No time for you!" he declares, launching himself at Kurow instead -- he attempts to harness his own chi, to fight back against Kurow's own --
But it all goes wrong!
As his hands lash out, it just doesn't work; the ball that is Kurow impacts instead, a dance of chi and knives striking him square in the chest! He stumbles back, arms waving, and a scowl takes his face as he considers his options. He can go to bed, or he can get up! He goes with the latter, getting back up. "Ya pretty crafty there, lad. Fast, agile...but not entirely the smartest."
How does he figure that? He does not elaborate just yet, instead waiting for the next attack on his person. "Well, what ya waitin' for? Try and end this, if ya old and man enough ta be doin' it..."
Normally, Kurow would let such comments slide -- but the one thing that bothers him, the one thing that manages to get his goat but good, is the commentary on his supposed intelligence... and his age. Considering oneself both the intellectual and combative rival of men some thirty years your senior tends to lead to a swelled head -- and a swelled head often pops fast when hit.
Even though the man seems to be on the ropes, even though Kurow could guarantee things for him (or close to it) by biding his time, he just comes in. "Old enough?! Man enough?!" he yells, the fury building in his voice. "I was old enough and man enough before I even started competing!" He beats feet forward, leaping up into the air --
-- and comes down in a picture-perfect copy of Rock Howard's Raging Storm, a move that Imawano-ryu certainly doesn't teach. Sure, it's tweaked oh-so-slightly by Kirishima's own whirlwind, the same one that Krizalid saw unleashed earlier, but for all intents and purposes, the maelstrom that emits upward from the place where his hands meet the ground in front of the Irishman is indeed the Raging Storm, in all its fierceness, all its explosive power.
COMBATSYS: Kurow successfully hits Krizalid with Kirishima Shinkuu Yamiarashi.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
[ < > ////// ]
Krizalid 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|===----\-------\0 Kurow
With such defiance does Kurow shout, that Krizalid simply cannot leap away from the strike! A veritable Raging Storm is unleashed, however ripped off, and the poor Irishman finds himself knocked back and away -- that's back... and away... by the strike.
Landing yards back, he bounces a couple of times before returning to his feet for what may just be one last gasp! His suit struggles, getting ready to shock him, but there's been damage done; it may not revive its owner this time!
In the meantime though, he issues a laugh. "That was cute, kid! But you want to see something all the cuter?!" Answer no, go ahead! It won't matter.
Bursting into flames, he lets loose a roar of fiery fury as he in turn unleashes an assault of somewhat epic, and potentially racist, proportions. Slashing his arms across in front of him, he leaves a flaming wake, an 'X' formed in the air -- and with a burst, it accelerates, aiming for Kurow with a massive explosion intended! Go on, Kurow! Be an Agent, and dodge this!
COMBATSYS: Krizalid has reached second wind!
[ \\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Krizalid 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Kurow
COMBATSYS: Krizalid successfully hits Kurow with End of Heaven.
Glancing Blow
[ \\\\\\ < > // ]
Krizalid 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Kurow
Kirishima expected the last display of power -- and moved to compensate, though unfortunately it wasn't enough. The flames lick at his chest, just enough to send him to the ground... but, much like Krizalid, he's got just a little more in the tank. It's not much -- but it's enough that he might be able to send Krizalid down.
The young man grits his teeth as he pulls himself back off the ground, looking at Krizalid with a baleful stare. "The only reason there's anything left of you..." he hisses, rushing forward, "... is because of that 'Maxima' man's beam! One-to-one..." The youth leaps forward, lacking his claws and ditching the knives; he's out of options, but he can at least enact some of his techniques to /some/ extent.
In this case, what he tries is the same vicious whirling strike he used earlier on Maxima, except he obviously can't dig claws into his target's neck this time. Instead, all he gets, at best, is an armlock around the man's head and neck, which he uses to bring him to the ground -- at least, if he doesn't get out of the way.
COMBATSYS: Kurow can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\ <
Krizalid 1/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Krizalid dodges Kurow's Strong Throw.
[ \\\\\\ <
Krizalid 1/-------/=======|
Marisol goes OOC.
Even though he doesn't get his arms around Krizalid's neck, Kurow finishes, with his last words for the night, "... it'd be... no... contest."
The suit fires, keeping Krizalid up and running after unleashing that assault on the agile ninja. A smirk simply paints his features for the moment, as he watches from amidst those macabre markings as the opposition nears... and again, he proves evasive as well!
Ducking under the attempt to get him into an headlock, he utilizes a brief burst of speed to move him well away from the falling Kurow as the younger opposition falters, and ultimate falls.
"One-on-one, it'd be no contest," he agrees, utilizing the victor's right to get the last word in. He laughs once, twice, thrice -- and bursts into flames again!
As the flames fade, he's once more wearing his fluffy-boa coat, and he fluffs it accordingly. "My return to the spotlight, successful! Perhaps next week they'll give me some real opposition. Goodbye, Maxima," he says to the fallen Mexic-Canadian, striding off as the SNF crew wonders how he made his coat reappear like that.
COMBATSYS: Krizalid has ended the fight here.
Log created on 22:16:12 09/01/2007 by Maxima, and last modified on 06:00:56 09/07/2007.